Draw-bar attachment



(No Model.)

A. D. STENTIFORD. DMWBAR ATTACHMENT.

Patented Ap 28, 1896.

AN DREW B GRAHAM. PHOTO-LITHO-WASHINGTUN. IIC` UNTTED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ALBERT I). STENTIFORD,OF PALATKA, FLORIDA.

DRAW-BAR ATTAGH Vl ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,228, dated April 28, 1896.

Application filed February 29,1896. Serial No. 581,330. (No model.)

To @ZZ wwnt t may 0071/067111,.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT D. STENTIEORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palatka, in the county of Putnam and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lDraw-Bar Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention consists in certain modifications in the construction and arrangements of parts of the draw-bar attachment shown in my Letters Patent No. 550,850, issued December 3, 1895, by which the draftbolt forming a feature of said construction is dispensed with and a yoke which embraces the spring-case is substituted therefor, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a top or plan view of a portion of the draft-timbers with my improved draw-bar attachment secured thereto; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section through the same on the dotted line 2 2 in Fig. l; Fig. 3, a rear end elevation as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrow from the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4L an elevation of the front end of the yoke with the drawbar in section as seen when looking in the direction indicated bythe arrow from the dotted line 4 4c in Fig. 2.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the draft-timbers; B B', the springcase; C, the draw-bar, and D D the yoke.

The draftetimbers A are of the ordinary form and arrangement and need no special description.

The spring-case B B is in main of the same form and arrangement as that shown in my before-mentioned Letters Patent, this invention chiefly consisting in the adaptation of a yoke to this particular form of case, so that it can be used therewith without in any manner detracting from the convenience and efficiency thereof. Said spring-case consists of two duplicate parts B and B', arranged in horizontal planes and separately secured 1n position by the horizontal bolts b and b', bein g provided with vertical lugs at their corners, which are set into recesses in the faces of the draft-timbers, all as particularly described in said former patent. Said spring-case contains the springs mounted between followers, and short sleeves, with their inner ends bearing against said followers and their outer ends projecting through suitable apertures in the ends of said casing, are mounted to slide in said apertures and transmit the strain to said springs from the draw-bar as in said former patent and as will be presently described. Lugs b2 are formed on the top and lower faces of said case with short adjacent vertical faces that distance from each other which is equal to the width of the yoke, thus forming a way in which said yoke may slide.

The draw-bar C is also in itself of an ordinary or any suitable form. At its rear end it has an enlarged or thickened portion, between which and the main portion are square shoulders c, with which the front end of the yoke engages, as will be presently described.

The yoke D D consists of two duplicate parts bent inward at their forward ends to engage the shoulders c, and the front ends are securely bolted to the enlarged rear end of said draw-bar by the vertical bolts d, which pass through the front end of each part of the yoke and said part of the draw-bar, as shown. At a point in line with the rear face of the end of the draw-bar an offset d2 is formed in each part of the yoke to accommodate the width of the spring-case, which is preferably somewhat greater than the thickness of the rear end of standard drawbars. By this means, as will be readily understood, the yoke can be readily adapted to spring-cases and draw-bars of different thicknesses, as the degree of offset can be readily changed to ac commodate any thickness or variation inthe thickness of either part. The rear ends of the parts composing said yoke are bent inward until they meet and then outward, forming short horizontal flanges, through which bolts d extend to firmly secure them together. Said yoke thus forms a complete rectangular frame surrounding the springcase, with its front end (the rear face of the end of the draw-bar) bearing against the outer end of the front sleeve and its rear end bearing IOO against the outer end of the rear sleeve, it being enough longer than the case to permit the desired longitudinal movement and of a width adapted to embrace the top and lower faces of the case snugly, but not to bind thereon or prevent its free movement in the ways between the lugs h2, as will be readily understood. By this arrangement, as will be seen, the horizontally-divided spring-case forming a leading feature of my said former patent may be used with the yoke construction with the same convenience and advantage as with the draft-bolt construction of said former patent, as by removing the two bolts d' and loosening the bolts d the lower half of said spring-case maybe removed without disturbing the upper half in the manner set forth in said patent as readily and conveniently as with the other construction.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a drawbar attachment, of a spring-case containing the springs and followers, which spring-oase is composed of two parts mounted in horizontal planes one above the other, of a yoke secured to the draw-bar and surrounding said case, said yoke being also formed in two parts arranged one above the other, and secured together at each end, whereby the lower part of said spring-case may be quickly and conveniently removed and replaced, substantially as set forth.

2. In a draw-bar attachment, the combination of the spring-case formed in two horizontal parts secured to the draft-timbers separate one from the other, the spring and followers mounted therein, and a yoke secured to the draw-bar and embracing said case, being mounted to slide in ways formed on the upper and lower faces thereof, said yoke being also divided horizontally into two parts, whereby the lower part of said yoke and the lower part of said spring-case may be conveniently removed and replaced without disturbing the other parts, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT I). STA ZNTIFORD. IVitnesses:

C. B. HERB, HENRY STENTIFORD. 

